Cursed Armageddon
by Onionbreath002
Summary: One man tried to change the world. When he lost his life, the evils he releashed begin a campaign of blood that ravages the land of Midgard. Will the Envoys from Valhalla stop this evil, or will the world enter an enternal age of darkness.
1. Prologue

A/N: The week leading up to Halloween was filled with some of the most horrifying experiences in my life... Midterms, endless horror movie marathon, being forced to watch Gray's Anatomy with a troupe of girls, going to Knott's Scary Farm with a bunch of squeamish girls... having my sis call me at midnight completely wasted and thinking I was her boyfriend.

Anyways... all that combined with a lot of RO and I got one of the nastiest dreams on the planet. Of course...this goes by real world physics, not RO physics, so people actually DIE and they can't really be resurrected by ygg leaves and stuff like that. I think I have like, the god item seal quests in here too, but like... very different (not like those quests were the epitome of fun and excitement).. It was a dream...so it didn't really care for RO physics...nor did it care for the population crap, and I don't feel like being a purist, since sometimes you really need to change things in games to make them work out in fics.

Anyways, just some notes... this is RO based. It is in the RO world, and they are based off of real RO players, characters, and guilds. However, ask no questions and I'll tell no lies. Aside from the fact that no, I'm not that familiar with the Nordic Calender, it's just there to look cool. So screw you japanophiles, there's one effing town in that game that's based off of Japan. DON'T GO MAKING THE WHOLE OF RUNE MIDGARD SPEAK IN WAPANESE!

-cough- anyways, on with the show.

---

Cursed Armageddon - Prologue

_Fifteenth day of the month of Ýlir  
__1339 in the Year of Our Lord Volver_

_Two years have come and gone, swift as a fallen leaf on the current. As the sun sets over the western horizon, I sit here remembering those who have passed, whether they be the innocent, or those who protected the innocent, may their memory never be lost, nor their sacrifice be in vain. Since the sealing of the accursed ones by the Dragon Crusader of the Cross on this very same day two years past, not one soul still bound to a physical vessel do forget the sacrifices those who are not with us have made. For three long, bloody years prior, men, demon and envoys from Valhalla alike wore the blood of friends, family, and comrades as the accursed ones threatened to bring about an Eternal Dark Age, casting the land of Midgard into a realm of shadow. _

_It was on this day that one brave soul, made the ultimate sacrifice, allowing the Legendary Dragon Crusader to seal the accursed ones with an power that has no match in the land of the shadows. Even now, I can still feel that power running through this hallowed ground, protecting those at rest from the effigies of the cursed ones carved on the graves. _

_I pray with all my heart that the peace will endure the sands of time. Wars are inevitable, but rarely fought without benefit to the weak. A nation may invade another because the peasants residing in her are crowded and miserable. A man may steal so that his family could eat. However there is no foe more terrifying than one who's intentions are the purest of evil. There is no foe more deadly than one who has no form. There is no foe more dangerous than one who lacks a form and a soul. And there is nothing more destructive than three such foes banding together. _

_Mysteltainn, Tirfing, and Executioner. Envoys of pure evil. May you be all but forgotten in the Land of Midgard. Your power never released, your soulless evil never seen on Freya's green world. Cast to the abyss and sealed by the power of the Excalibur in a location and guarded by the powers of the ancient brothers Thanatos and Hypnos. The trials we've endured may at last reach an end. The traces of the unholy bloodshed finally washed from the white granite streets of Prontera, the grasses of Payon no longer red from the blood soaked soil in which they grow, and the Bay of Alberta once again crystal blue. The population is growing. New Orders of the Knights of Prontera are being built. New members are being inducted into the Holy Order of Crusaders. New pastors are ordained as priests by the Pronteran Church and so on and so forth. The world is being rebuilt and without mishap, and for that I thank our mighty lord._

_May our future be brighter than our past._

_Chapter XXIV  
The Memoirs of Rev Lord Fate Averruncus  
__Crusader of Light of the Church of Prontera  
__Envoy of Valhalla_

---

It's an odd concept...the prologue just a reminiscence... but it gives you an idea. I don't play RO religiously enough to know the true story behind the three cursed swords. I don't play RO enough to do a lot of the things the people do in here...so it may not be accurate. Hopefully, you'll enjoy reading it. I know, I'll have fun writing it.

By the way... that little part at the end. Eh... hopefully it'll be self explanatory. If you really don't get it, PM me or something and I'll try to explain it. But basically the four main characters all have memoirs. And the story draws from them. Culminating in twenty four different chapters.


	2. The Accursed Ones

Cursed Armageddon - Chapter 1

The Accursed Ones

_Artifice of Peace_

_Over a Millennium has passed since the great war. The recent outbreaks of strange and terrifying events have been all but quelled. The residents of the Land of Midgard are in general quite content, going about their business peacefully. The citizenry are well protected by the Knights, Crusaders, Wizards and other defenders of peace and justice._

_Over time, the social and economic hierarchy of the Tristan Empire stabilized into a ruling class of aristocracy, followed by the defenders of Prontera: The Knights, Crusaders, Wizards, Sages, Hunters, Snipers, etc... who are in turn followed by the middle class and finally the peasantry. However, despite the social gaps and economic gaps, most people are happy. Abuse and Corruption are kept to a bare minimum, especially since the Aristocracy can very easily be overthrown by the Holy Crusaders of the Church. _

_Guild Systems flourished during this time as groups of fighters banded together in friendly combat to obtain valuable treasures from the guild castles in the four main towns. Though the guild battles are meant to be friendly, occasional deaths do occur. Unfortunately, until safer measures can be thought of, participation in guild wars is at your own risk. The victors of these wars gained power, fame, prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and may even obtain a clue in unearthing the lost artifacts of the Gods._

_Yet despite the rivalry, peace flourished during the Tristan Era. However, the greatest enemy to the peace of the times, is itself. The years of peace have made the people complacent, weak, and all to vulnerable to surprises. And that complacency will eventually sow the seeds of darkness._

---

_Prontera - South Gate  
__Twenty third day of Mörsugur  
__1336 in the Year of Our Lord Volver_

The early rays of sunshine shone brightly on the center of Prontera. It was a rare sight to see such a brilliant sunrise in the dead of winter, but to four departing protectors of Prontera, it was a welcoming omen. The group of four slowly rode towards the south gate, where two figures awaited them.

The leader of the group was a massive man, tall, well built, clad in heavy armor. His size made even more impressive by the grand peco on which he rode. His hair, a ghostly white, flowed out behind him, giving him the appearance of a wraith. He had no formal name, being an orphan. Most knew him only as the Reverend Fate Averruncus, a name given to him by the pastor that found him on the doorsteps of the church.

Riding to his left was another crusader, looking equally menacing, only with blood red hair. The man was a rough youth from Prontera named Cain. A bad child turned by the Church into a warrior for God.

Riding Parallel to Cain was a young woman. Lady Lauren Bauer is the daughter of a famous mercenary knight of Al De Baran. After her father disappeared, she followed in his footsteps, joining the ranks of the Knights of Prontera. Her beauty in her silky brown hair and cool blue eyes is only matched by her prowess with the spear. Some say she could spear a fly with a toothpick from ten furloughs away.

The final member of the group was a Knight named Rikazen. A happy go lucky fellow with a penchant for merriment and good food. Yet his cheerful demeanor belies his ferocity while in combat. The four were a fighting force to be reckoned with.

As they approached the gate, the two men standing there, one wearing the formal robes of a Priest of Prontera, while the other dressed in a simple tunic and manteau, but also bearing the clasp of a Holy Crusader of Prontera, saw them and strode briskly to meet them. The group was charged by the Church of Prontera to journey to the hidden Temple of Odin, where, by any means necessary, they are to stop the rogue Valkyrie Randgris' bloody raids in the mortal realm. The priest would accompany them. The final crusader would not.

The final crusader, a well-natured man named Davennial Stromwind, was an oddity in the Order of Crusaders. In that, Davennial was married to another. To make matters worse, the woman he loves is also a Crusader of Prontera. The church, upon finding his breach of his vows of chastity, especially with another one of the order, sought immediate excommunication and decommissioning. Yet the public outcry against the action was tremendous. The services this man brings will not be marred just because he's married, the public preached. In the end, the church had no choice. Davennial kept his Crusader rankings, but unfortunately was taken out of active duty.

However, other members of the order did not see it that way. Though he was taken out of active duty, there were many things behind the scenes that no one would trust to anyone but him. And on this day, Fate refused to trust the task left by his departure to anyone but Davennial.

Unknown to the general public and most of the aristocracy. The Pronteran Church carries three hidden vaults. In each of the vault, holds a sword of immeasurable power. However, those swords were carved in the deepest pit of hell, forged with the blood and souls of many human beings. Years earlier, the church hid these swords, and used the Excalibur to seal each sword's evil essence within the cursed metal. The three swords, Mysteltainn, Tirfang, and Executioner are guarded by Fate Averruncus, Rikazen and Cain respectively, while Laura guarded the Excalibur. But, since the four are leaving, they must be entrusted to someone else.

Davennial filled in that position perfectly. So the night before departure, the four guardians retrieved the cursed swords along with the Excalibur. The four swords now rest in a large trunk carried on the back of Fate's grand peco.

As the group met. Fate dismounted his peco, dragging the chest down with him. The fatigued bird looked significantly relieved as the Crusader gave it an affectionate pat and it ran off to the nearest fountain to get a drink. Cain, Rikazen and Lauren dismounted likewise as Fate opened the chest and revealed four separate clear-top cases, each containing a sword.

"This is it." Fate said as he handed over the cases. "Tirfang, Mysteltainn, Executioner, and finally the Excalibur."

Davennial accepted each case and placed them on the ground carefully. He peered into the cases at the beautiful blades.

"How do the seals work?"

Fate stepped back as Lauren directed attention the the Excalibur. "Notice the wire connected to the tip of the blade of the Excalibur? That draws the holy power of the sword and transmit them to the Seal of King Arthur on the latches of the case." Lauren in turn pointed to ornate clasps engraved on the latches to the cases of the cursed swords. "So long as the Excalibur stays in place, the seals cannot be broken by neither man nor God."

Davennial nodded his understanding. He gathered up the cases carefully and placed them in a large sack he had brought with him. Then putting his hands to his lips, he whistled loudly. Moments later, a peco appeared. The crusader spoke a few gentle words the the bird before handing the reins to the priest.

"Bai." Davennial said, addressing the priest. "Take good care of her."

The priest, a young man from Louyang by the name of Bai Yu Tang, nodded before awkwardly mounting the bird. It was obvious that his riding skills only went as far as recreational riding.

The four guardians also mounted their pecos, with much more grace. Fate gave Davennial one last nod. "Good luck old friend."

Davennial laughed. "I just have to baby sit a few swords. YOU on the other hand have to go fight off a Valkyrie. I should be wishing you luck."

Everyone laughed. Then final checks were made and final farewells said. The four knights spurred their birds and sped off out the gate, with the priest awkwardly following behind. Davennial watched until they were well out of sight before packing up his bags and heading home.

---

_Trust in a close friend is a trust well placed, however, there are many things that one does not take into consideration. We have been at peace for so long that men have fanciful visions of immortality and powers to match the Gods. We fancy ourselves capable of anything, all knowing, all powerful, all seeing. And when we do that, the true nature of our limitations become lost in the swirling vortex of greed. _

_It is often because of that, the worst catastrophes are unleashed upon Rune Midgard. While humans do things, we never stop to consider "maybe this is a bad idea." The only thing we'll ever consider is "I wonder how powerful I can become." Such were the last thoughts of many men sacrificed to the Abyss by the very power they sought to control. We lose sight of who we are, what we are, and what we are capable of. We forget that demons and angels have intelligence far greater than ours, and never will they consider being controlled willingly. It is only the wise man who can recognize that, may he be able to tame the Baphomet._

_---_

_Protera - South Gate_

Mithron watched as the guardians went their way. Pulling his cloak around him, he quickly left the gate area, hoping not to be detected.

'So...the rumors are true...' He thought to himself. 'Excalibur, Tirfang, Mysteltainn, Executioner... you really do exist.'

Mithron quickly wove his way around the early morning goers of Prontera. Now that the sun was higher in the Eastern sky, the morning crowd would soon be out, and they would question why a Knight of Prontera was sneaking among the crowd trying, and failing to fully cover his insignias. Luckily for him, he reached his destination, the Fountain Inn near the center of the city, where the rest of his guild awaited him.

"Well?" A young priestess looked up as her guild leader entered the room. "Are the rumor's true?"

"Aye." Mithron said. "But more. Not only are the four fools leaving today the guardians of the vaults, they also entrusted the secret contents of the vault to that shamed crusader."

"What is it?" another member piped from the corner of the room.

"You guys will never believe this, but the vaults are holding the Doomed Swords and the Excalibur!"

There was a collective gasp around the room.

"No way." The priestess piped up again. "Is it really safe to entrust such deadly power to that blasphemous fool? That man broke his vows to the church once. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned again."

"Don't the legends speak of an unspeakable evil that resides within the cursed metal of the blades?"

"Yes, do the church know about this breech of trust?"

"Is anything being done?"

"Do the guardians realize what they're doing?!"

"No, but those idiots don't see the truth the way we do." Mithron affirmed. "We need to act fast. We must take the swords away from that infidel and keep it safe within our personal vault. When the guardians return, we will reveal to them their fallacy, and claim their jobs in the eyes of the church. It's our destiny men! We shall strike quickly and decisively, for all of Rune Midgard!"

Shouts of agreement and cheers greeted Mithron as he ended his speech. Quickly a plan was formed. The guild Void would be raiding the personal house of a Holy Crusader and stealing the most dangerous artifacts known to mankind. If only they had a three year old child among their ranks to see the holes in that logic.

---

_Brash action is rarely rewarded. Those who seek fame and fortune usually discover trouble and despair. Idle thoughts of heroics, lack of understanding, stubborn refusal to see the point from a different light; such concepts bring about horrors beyond any known to mankind. Righteousness and evil are very relative concepts. Very few absolutes exist. As a third party rushing in hoping to take glory and honor in one act of courage and bravery, you will never know the entire story, the full motive, the real demons. Most novices forget that, and in turn, their lives are forfeit._

_---_

_Prontera - Crusader's Residence_

"Honey... are those it?"

Davennial turned to face his wife of six months, looking over his shoulders into their personal store room with intense curious eyes. He smiled and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Are you leaving today?"

"Yes, mother is very sick." She gave her husband a quick peck. "Maybe she'll be sick enough to actually forgive you for debauching her dear daughter right out of the order."

Davennial grinned roguishly before tickling her wife into a fit of giggles. "It's what I do." After his wife calmed down, he activated the security systems and shut the door. "Yeah, those are it, the legendary doomed swords that I have to baby sit for the next year or so. Hopefully nobody knows enough about it to try to steal it. And they all know we took oaths of poverty."

"Yeah...if we didn't break THAT one too."

"Oh come on, that's not fair. And aren't you supposed to be going?"

"Oh...what? Now you don't want me here?"

Davennial tickled his wife again. "Of course I want you here. We can't do things together when you're not here."

She rolled her eyes and hit her husband. "Ohhhhhhh, so I'll suppose you'll find some other floozy to break your vows with."

"Never. I promise." Davennial said, pecking his wife again, before breaking into a fit of laughter at the outrageous joke he just made. His wife was named Promise by her mother, whose husband died in combat. Her name was to symbolize the promise he made just before he left on his last fateful mission that they'll raise their daughter together. Unfortunately, he was never able to keep that promise and his widow was forced to raise Promise alone. To ensure her daughter never had to feel her pain, she encouraged her into the church. Unfortunately, nobody expected such a rough around the edges girl like Promise to catch the eye of the then Captain of the Guards Davennial. After a three year war with feelings, parents, the church, society in general, they finally wed, their love still strong despite verbal punishment from almost everyone from their in-laws to the janitor.

"...That pun's getting really old." Promise broke free and pouted with her packed bags in the corner. "Now I KNOW you're gonna go off and get all wild with all the young floozies of Prontera.

Davennial sighed dramatically before approaching his wife with a witherless rose behind his back. He helped her up and tucked the beautiful flower behind her ear. Promise sighed and leaned into his chest. "This is the first time we'll be apart since we've been married."

"I know. But I've been through too much crap to marry you just to abandon you like that. I'm your husband, and that'll never change, just like that rose. So when you come back, I'll still be here waiting for you."

"You promise?"

"I do."

Husband and wife shared one last kiss before the two former crusader's parted. Dennis watched his wife leave the house and for the second time that morning, watched as a person dear to him disappeared beyond the horizon. Davennial mouthed the words 'I love you' to her, remembering that he had forgotten to tell her. Oh well, there will be plenty of time when she gets back.

He went into his house, and instinctively froze. Though having been decommissioned for nearly a year now, after the church caught him and Promise in a compromising position inside an empty room in a guild castle, he never stopped staying in shape and keeping his sense tuned. Someone uninvited was in his house, and the timing really did not bode well. Quickly, the crusader made his way to the storeroom, to see the door kicked in. Grabbing a shield and a saber off some wall mounts, Davennial rushed quickly into the store room, only to find himself surrounded by members of the Void guild.

"MITHRON!" He roared at the leader, who had all four containers in front of him, and was standing there looking smugly at the surrounded crusader.

"Ahh, Davennial, Former Crusader of Light of the Church of Prontera, Dragon Crusader of the Cross, and informally known as the Dracoknight. My my, so many titles for one so smeared with shame."

"Silence you scum, what are you doing here?!"

"What am I doing here?" Mithron laughed. He gestured at his guild mates. "He wants to know what we are doing here."

Davennial scowled as laughter attacked him from all sides. He got ready to lunge, but a well place arrow quickly shot the saber out of his hand.

"I'll tell you what we're here for." Mithron said, the humor gone from his voice as his eyes, full of hatred turned on the former crusader. "We're here to ensure the safety and security of the human race. We're here to correct the mistakes the church made when it bowed to aristocratic demands that you be allowed to keep your rank. We're here to give you the punishment scum like you deserve."

Mithron picked up the case containing Excalibur. "I believe the ultra conservatives, the real people in power in the church, would love to see your head on a silver platter. And what better way to provide it than with the holy sword Excalibur. Ohh the irony. I love it."

The deranged knight kicked open the case for Excalibur, and using his Zweihander, began slicing the sealing apparatus around the blade. Davennials eyes widened as he lunged towards the knight, blade or no blade.

"YOU FOOL! STOP!"

One of Mithron's hunters quickly released a silver bolt from his bow. Unfortunately for the hunter, Davennial was perfectly aware of the arrow, and deftly deflected the bolt back into the chest of its owner. The guild gasped as they watched the man fall the to floor, dying with his own blood pooling beneath him. As they looked back, they watched in horror as Davennial jumped on Mithron hitting the knight with anything he can.

Mithron struggled against the added weight, cursing the Sages of Yuno for concocting such an intricate seal system. Finally, his patience at an end, he grabbed the hit, and ripped it out along with any parts of the apparatus that weren't as flimsy as the rest. He then used his hands the clear off the blade and turned towards Davennial with fire in his eye.

"Are you ready to die infidel?"

But before anyone could act, the three cursed swords began to glow. In a flash, three dark auras expelled from the blades, assimilating into Davennial. The former crusader shrieked in pain as bolts of dark electricity, black energy and purple beams shot into his body and circled his limbs and torso. His skin grew pale, his eyes lost its liveliness, and in a flash, it was over. Mithron looked up to see Davennial standing in his place, the three cursed blades, floating around him, glowing in a purple black aura.

"Finally, free from that accursed seal!" Davennial said in a demented voice. The sword Mysteltainn glowed with each word. "I must thank you for freeing me. I suppose you humans are good for something, the capacity to be infinitely stupid."

The Void guild members immediately trained their weapons on the glowing figure and the three blades. The swords twirled around in midair as if assessing the situation. Mithron stood his ground, holding the Excalibur shakily in front of him. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Ahh forgive me." The demented voice came. "I am known as the Mysteltainn."

"And I." Another voice, equally demented by slightly different in tone. "Am the Executioner."

"And I" A third voice, distinctly female, still very demented. "Am the Tirfang."

"You see..." The Mysteltainn continued, talking through Davennial's body. "Me, my brother and my sister were forged by you humans in your thirst for power. Many souls lie within us, all of them agonized and epitomizes the worst in your kind. You made us, then you feared us. And as with all things you fear are superior to you, you sealed us away with that accursed Excalibur of yours. So long as that sword lay in that sealing apparatus, we were harmless. But we knew, one day, a self righteous idiot would think himself a hero for such brash actions and free us. And after so many years of imprisonment our knowledge of the physical and magical world has increased tenfold. Our spirits, so long as they are not sealed, are free to roam. We are now more powerful than even the gods!"

"You...you won't get away with this."

"Ahh..." The Mysteltainn bounced almost happily in midair. "That's the beauty of it all...we already have!"

The three swords quickly shot out. One by one, Void members had their throats slit, their eyes pierced, their heads detached, their bowls removed and their skin peeled as the Executioner, the Tirfang and the Mysteltainn unleashed their terror. Then, returning to their host's side, both the Tirfang and the Mysteltainn floated into a hand with the Executioner sheathed itself in a black scabbard that suddenly appeared on Davennial's back.

"And now." The Mysteltainn spoke. "I must reward you for freeing me... with death!"

Mithron barely had time to react. Davennial's posessed body flew, and in a flash of darkness, he was staring into the soulless eyes of the former crusader. Mithron quickly raised the Excalibur, but it was too late. The blade of the Mysteltainn pierced his heart. The knight slumped forward as Davennial's arm slowly pulled the blade out of his chest.

"Our Shadow Kingdom will rise again human." The Mysteltainn whispered. "And you, will be our martyr."

With that, the Tirfang slashed across his neck. As Mithron fell to the ground, his strength leaving him, his mouth filling with his own blood, and his eyes surveying the dead bodies of his guild mates, especially that of his lover, he prayed that God would forgive him for what he had done. For what he had started. For what he had unleashed. His eyes slowly closed as he drew his last, painful breath.

---

_Evil, like men, does not stay confined. Once released, once it has tasted the sweet nectar of power, it will not stop until it acquires more and more. One who unleashes evil therefore forfeits not only his life, but the lives of all the victims of evil. Ignorance is not an excuse, nor is obedience. Such regression of human thought can lead to many horrifying outcomes. For one death affects everyone._

_In the case of the Accursed Ones, also known as the Mysteltainn, the Tirfang and the Executioner, one blunder cast the world into two years of chaos. Two long years where human blood flowed as freely as the rivers feeding Greenwood Lake. All because one man thought he would change the world._

_And sadly enough, he did._

_Prologue  
__The Memoirs of Rev Lord Fate Averruncus  
__Crusader of Light of the Chruch of Prontera  
__Envoy of Valhalla_


End file.
